TV meteorologists

[chuck1973]

I cannot believe how wrong Blake's School Closing Predictions were. Hopefully NexStar tells him to stop the crap.

Caught his segment a few times today. Noticed a change in his on-air style – for a young fella, he's taking on a somewhat cynical vibe. He's really keen on reaffirming the precision of forecast models and his past predictions, even when no one's challenging that unless he's responding to social media comments on air without the full context. Comes off a bit cocky. I totally agree; this exaggeration of school closing predictions seems like an unusual ratings strategy, pushing school administrators into hasty decisions.

Here's some advice – the kid ought to maintain a clear, composed demeanor and not let past predictions weigh too heavily on him during broadcasts. Let the pros handle school closings; just stick to reporting them, young man.

[MasterB]

School closing predictions came from Nexstar corporation for a gigamic and marketing is all.

[jesusjenny]

The School closings things is not new - He was also doing in Lansing. It's not gospel, just like West Michigan weather forecasting is not perfect. Give the guy some credit, they've worked non-stop the last several days on air and online. Blake is clearly passionate about his job and is attempting to do it in his own style and way. Personally, I think he fits quite well at 8. If you don't like it, you can turn on Kevin or George for a more old-school delivery. The facts he's been talked about so much on here shows he's making an impact. Carry on whiners!

[sinklair]

The fact that Blake is more times wrong than right, doesn’t make him “ passionate about his job and is attempting to do it in his own style and way. ” Nor does it make those of us who dislike his “sky is falling” approach to meteorology wrong.

You can like Blake. We can dislike Blake. That’s the way the Buzzboard works — so take your holier than thou attitude… cause some of us actually know the science behind forecasting Michigan weather.

[jesusjenny]

That's right - YOU know the science! Are you sitting on your couch at home with your "Local TV News Meteorologist" scorecard keeping track of how many times someone is wrong or right?! What makes them wrong exactly? Temps off by a few degrees? Winds 3MPH off? Partly instead of Mostly cloudy? Don't like the color of their tie?

Dude, seriously, get a life and go out and do something useful - with your SCIENCE. Maybe go fly a kite or oil up your wind vane.

[Radio1]

One term I did not hear on air during this last weather-alert go-round was: "fully staffed."
At first I thought, they might have thrown the term out, but now I think its absence might be because there is no Bill Steffen involved, who I believe is still technically part of the WOOD-TV weather team.

[Bull Shannon]

One term I did not hear on air during this last weather-alert go-round was: "fully staffed."
At first I thought, they might have thrown the term out, but now I think its absence might be because there is no Bill Steffen involved, who I believe is still technically part of the WOOD-TV weather team.

You're probably reading a bit too much into it.

I think Bill has officially retired other than his occasional Man Cave segments.

[Jason Kragt]

Kirkwood uses so many different slides, he's still talking about one that was up 10 seconds ago.

I still remember a short station break during the Today show when Matt waxed poetic about the beautiful camera shot in the background for so long that he forgot to deliver the forecast.

[sinklair]

I’ve been forecasting for longer than Blake has been alive. I’m pretty sure I’m more than qualified to comment on the pseudo science he claims to use to forecast school closings. It’s not a technique that’s scientifically authenticated by any real meteorological accreditation source, Luke the AMS, NWA, etc. it’s not taught in school. It’s just made up. WOOD TV should drop the school closing predictions since it’s wrong more than it’s right.

[Honolulublue4life]

One term I did not hear on air during this last weather-alert go-round was: "fully staffed."
At first I thought, they might have thrown the term out, but now I think its absence might be because there is no Bill Steffen involved, who I believe is still technically part of the WOOD-TV weather team.

You're probably reading a bit too much into it.

I think Bill has officially retired other than his occasional Man Cave segments.

Bill hasn't been on in quite a while

[Jason Kragt]

I’ve been forecasting for longer than Blake has been alive. I’m pretty sure I’m more than qualified to comment on the pseudo science he claims to use to forecast school closings. It’s not a technique that’s scientifically authenticated by any real meteorological accreditation source, Luke the AMS, NWA, etc. it’s not taught in school. It’s just made up. WOOD TV should drop the school closing predictions since it’s wrong more than it’s right.

Or at least they should revamp it. I think it would be OK to do things like assign a percent chance of closure to schools in general or highlight which regions of the viewing area have an elevated risk of closure. The thing that concerned me was seeing a map of specific school districts with specific predictions. They are predicting the judgement calls of specific individuals--namely each district's superintendent--without input from said individuals. Just let them do their jobs without this Blake kid looking over their shoulders. I have no problem with them trying to predict what mother nature decides. I just don't think it is appropriate for them to second guess every superintendent's decision.

[hanson]

Kirkwood uses so many different slides, he's still talking about one that was up 10 seconds ago.

I still remember a short station break during the Today show when Matt waxed poetic about the beautiful camera shot in the background for so long that he forgot to deliver the forecast.

[chuck1973]

I’ve been forecasting for longer than Blake has been alive. I’m pretty sure I’m more than qualified to comment on the pseudo science he claims to use to forecast school closings. It’s not a technique that’s scientifically authenticated by any real meteorological accreditation source, Luke the AMS, NWA, etc. it’s not taught in school. It’s just made up. WOOD TV should drop the school closing predictions since it’s wrong more than it’s right.

Or at least they should revamp it. I think it would be OK to do things like assign a percent chance of closure to schools in general or highlight which regions of the viewing area have an elevated risk of closure. The thing that concerned me was seeing a map of specific school districts with specific predictions. They are predicting the judgement calls of specific individuals--namely each district's superintendent--without input from said individuals. Just let them do their jobs without this Blake kid looking over their shoulders. I have no problem with them trying to predict what mother nature decides. I just don't think it is appropriate for them to second guess every superintendent's decision.

Oh, absolutely concurred. Blake Hams just shared this on his Facebook:

"I make school closing predictions by evaluating the conditions and seeing how they'll progress into the morning and beyond. Based on current road conditions, I'd probably predict what I did again. Just misjudged how things would go. I am so appreciative of your support and trust in me, and it's not something I take lightly. I learn from every prediction and this one is no different."

I mentioned this a few posts back. The young man ought to embrace a bit of humility and recognize that forecasting isn't an infallible art. His tendency to dwell on justifying his correctness rather than swiftly moving on to the next forecast comes across as rather presumptuous, if not cocky, to viewers. I harbor doubts about the sustainability of such an approach in the industry. Moreover, I question the propriety of him dabbling in predicting school closures, potentially exerting undue pressure on administrators who may find themselves at odds with a local media outlet's predicted closure. The kid exudes an air of arrogance that may not bode well for his future endeavors.

Adhere to the role of reporting school closings rather than delving into forecasting them, unless, of course, the young man is prepared to personally navigate every school district route and directly evaluate the closures. Let the administrators handle their duties, and broadcast information to assist them. The current approach taken by the young man seems quite absurd.

[andymuskegon]

I’ve been forecasting for longer than Blake has been alive. I’m pretty sure I’m more than qualified to comment on the pseudo science he claims to use to forecast school closings. It’s not a technique that’s scientifically authenticated by any real meteorological accreditation source, Luke the AMS, NWA, etc. it’s not taught in school. It’s just made up. WOOD TV should drop the school closing predictions since it’s wrong more than it’s right.

Or at least they should revamp it. I think it would be OK to do things like assign a percent chance of closure to schools in general or highlight which regions of the viewing area have an elevated risk of closure. The thing that concerned me was seeing a map of specific school districts with specific predictions. They are predicting the judgement calls of specific individuals--namely each district's superintendent--without input from said individuals. Just let them do their jobs without this Blake kid looking over their shoulders. I have no problem with them trying to predict what mother nature decides. I just don't think it is appropriate for them to second guess every superintendent's decision.

Oh, absolutely concurred. Blake Hams just shared this on his Facebook:

"I make school closing predictions by evaluating the conditions and seeing how they'll progress into the morning and beyond. Based on current road conditions, I'd probably predict what I did again. Just misjudged how things would go. I am so appreciative of your support and trust in me, and it's not something I take lightly. I learn from every prediction and this one is no different."

I mentioned this a few posts back. The young man ought to embrace a bit of humility and recognize that forecasting isn't an infallible art. His tendency to dwell on justifying his correctness rather than swiftly moving on to the next forecast comes across as rather presumptuous, if not cocky, to viewers. I harbor doubts about the sustainability of such an approach in the industry. Moreover, I question the propriety of him dabbling in predicting school closures, potentially exerting undue pressure on administrators who may find themselves at odds with a local media outlet's predicted closure. The kid exudes an air of arrogance that may not bode well for his future endeavors.

Adhere to the role of reporting school closings rather than delving into forecasting them, unless, of course, the young man is prepared to personally navigate every school district route and directly evaluate the closures. Let the administrators handle their duties, and broadcast information to assist them. The current approach taken by the young man seems quite absurd.

or, it could be a bunch of old farts on a message board pissing and moaning about "that's not how we did it". if you think critically and strategically, a "prediction" for school closings has one purpose.....drive links and clicks not only for the clicks and shares, but to double whos' looking at school closings. i am not saying i'm all for it, but if blake here originated this idea, i bet nexstar gives him employee of the month parking spot.

[chuck1973]

or, it could be a bunch of old farts on a message board pissing and moaning about "that's not how we did it". if you think critically and strategically, a "prediction" for school closings has one purpose.....drive links and clicks not only for the clicks and shares, but to double whos' looking at school closings. i am not saying i'm all for it, but if blake here originated this idea, i bet nexstar gives him employee of the month parking spot.

Thank you for sharing your insights on this matter. It's accurate that discussions can sometimes shift into nostalgic reflections on the "good old days." However, our primary concern revolves around the potential consequences of predicting school closings, especially its impact on administrators' decisions. It's not about resisting change but rather acknowledging the broader ramifications.

The young man seems to be taking on the responsibilities of numerous school administrators independently, without actually driving routes or having precise knowledge of local district conditions (just broad conditions overall). I understand that he used to do this for fun as a kid for the one school district he attended, where he may have had more precise local data.

Your observation regarding the business aspect is well-received, and I acknowledge the motivation behind driving links and clicks. My goal is to initiate a dialogue about the ethical considerations involved. While Blake may gain recognition for his idea, I firmly believe it's imperative to carefully assess the ethical implications of such predictions. It's a complex issue, and I'm open to diverse perspectives on how to approach this responsibly. What are your thoughts on finding a balance between fostering engagement and ensuring responsible reporting (if that concept still holds weight in today's media landscape)?